8 Chic Districts in Tokyo of the Amazing Food Adventure


Yummylicious Tokyo - Tokyo
With my previous “yummy-licious” experience in Osaka, my craving for Japanese cuisine didn’t stop there. Let’s embark to Tokyo and continue the food journey!

The food scene in Tokyo is like looking through a Kaleidoscope. It keeps the glorious Japanese tradition and  then evolves, and what they came up with, constantly surprises me.

I have been to Tokyo many times, but still, I discover something new and trendy every time and that’s why I always go back for more. One time, I had eight close friends join me and the nine of us embarked on yet another amazing “yummy-licious” journey. If you have an empty stomach and an adventurous heart, follow us!

This is my fabulous dining and food experience in Tokyo – The culinary paradise!

Hopefully, we could inspire your next visit to Japan.

Check the map at the end of this post as I am constantly updating for the latest best places to eat. There are so many wonderful dining places in Tokyo that is almost impossible to list them all.

Ginza: Welcome to the Pedestrian Paradise

Yummylicious Tokyo - GinzaGinza is the heart of Tokyo. I usually stay in this area when I am in town. I like that Ginza captures both old and new. While many high-end, luxurious, trendy fashion brands set up their uniquely designed flagship stores, the tidy streets are filled with local classic handicraft stores and restaurants, some of them are in the business for decades or even a hundred years.

The Hattori Clock Tower stands on top of the roof of the Wako Department Store is a Ginza’s landmark. The street in front of the department store, Chuo-Dori, becomes a “pedestrian paradise” on Sundays, offering the ultimate freedom to shoppers and diners. Find out more about what to see and do in Ginza for your next travel!

IMG_5097
The Hattori Clock Tower stands on top of the roof of the Wako Department Store is a Ginza’s landmark. The street in front of the department store, Chuo-Dori, becomes a “pedestrian paradise” on Sundays, offering the ultimate freedom to shoppers and diners.

Kani Ryori (Crab cuisine)

Yummylicious Tokyo - Crab (2)
Pouring sake (Japanese wine) into the crab shell, and heating it on a mini-charcoal stove.

Many people know Kani Doraku かに道楽. Now, Kani Doraku opened in many locations in Japan, and to me, getting touist-y. We want something fresh and authentic.

My friend introduced us to the Kani-Mitsu 銀座蟹みつ, another crab expert in Ginza. We had set lunch that included one fresh hairy crab and it was served in three ways – sashimi (raw), steamed, and grilled.

The highlight was pouring sake (Japanese wine) into the crab shell, and heating it on a mini-charcoal stove. The alcohol evaporated and the aroma left in the shell tasted magnificent mixed with the crab brain.

Kani-Mitsu: https://ginza-kanimitsu.com

Yummylicious Tokyo - CrabThe crab tasted so juicy and fresh, even though I was still pretty full after my late breakfast at bills, I had to finish everything.

Ginza, together with its surrounding areas, like Tokyo Station, Shimbashi, Toyosu, and Akihabara… are really filled with new restaurants, food scene that makes it an ideal place to stay if you are here for a culinary escapade.

We may explode more, and for now, I would like to take a minure and introduce the international labesl that set up shop here in Ginza.

Fine-dining of luxury, fashion labels 

Gucci Osteria just opened its third restaurant in the world in 2021. Located at the top floor of the Gucci building, the area is divided into a dining area, balcony, bar and private area. The interior has an elegant decor with patterned wall paper from Tian, matching with marble dining tables and malachite green velvet sofa.

The incredible food is present with Gucci Decor tableware, created by the head chef Antonio Iacoviello. Antonio worked in Noma, the world’s best restaurant in Denmark, and the menu is interestingly crafted based on his roots, at a very resonable and friendly price point. I recommend visiting there for lunch.

Louis Vuitton’s second cafe, LE CAFE V, was opened in 2021, on the 7th floor at the Louis Vuitton flagship store in Ginza, serving their signature LV monogram chocolates, Mille Feuille, and V Vafe Latte.

Unagi (freshwater eel)

Yummylicious Tokyo - Unagi
Freshwater eel delicacy

As Chikuyōtei is a Michelin 1-star decorated diner with a long history of cooking unagi (freshwater eel), don’t be surprised if you see a long queue outside the restaurant day and night.

I don’t typically like eating eel because of its weird slippery texture, but no one could make freshwater eel better than the Japanese.

The secret is in the sauce: layers and layers of sweet and thick soy sauce were brushed on the eel as they are grilled to perfection on charcoal. When the eel is served on rice, it is so warm and comforting; the eel egg rolls are delicious, too.

From Ginza… to Akihabara, Toyosu Market and more

Shabu-shabu

Yummylicious Tokyo - Shabu Shabu
Shabu-shabu in Shabusen

No matter if you are eating alone or with a bunch of people, you could still enjoy a great shabu-shabu at Shabusenしゃぶせん. Shabusen is a “shabu-shabu bar” in the basement of the Ginza Core building right at the heart of Ginza.

Each customer in Shabusen has its own stove and hot pot, and the servers are working in the center of the bar table.

The set dinner menu offers a selection of a different mix of beef and pork in either one of the two soup bases, and all set dinners include appetizers, assorted vegetables, soup, and red bean porridge (or udon noodle).

Akihabara Meat shop Yokocho

Since I always find the Suki-yaki soup base a bit too sweet, I chose the classic shabu-shabu soup base and it tasted great. At first, I thought a plate of Kuroge Wagyu beef would not be enough, but with the side dishes and dessert, it was just right.

Shabusen: https://www.zakuro.co.jp/syabusen

An for the big-eaters, “all you can eat” buffet style barbecue and shabu-shabu are now everwhere. One place that I recommend is the All-you-can-eat Japanese Beef Hall in Akihabara Meat shop Yokocho, and they name claims to be the “legendary” all-you-can-eat wagyu. You won’t believe they are serving top-grade wagyu with other yummy ingredients in such a good value!

Akihabara Meat shop Yohocho: nikuyayokocho.jp/shoplist/akihabara/

Sashimi and sushi

Yummylicious Tokyo - Seafood
Urchin and crab legs at Tsukiji Market

This is a collective effort. Every day, very early in the morning, tourists swarm into the Tsukiji Market for fresh seafood. The variety is enchanting: Tamagoyaki (Japanese egg roll), Warabi (Japanese mochi confection), Toro (fat Tuna belly sashimi), barbecue crabs, skewers to ice cream.

Today, Tsukiji Outer Market is still there – the “inner market” is migrated and now found in Toyosu Market. Toyosu Market is Tokyo’s largest fish market and it will be featuring a brand new complex in spring 2024, with a 10-story high hot spring resorts and a shopping center with more than 60  merchants.

The highlight at the fish market are for sure, fresh seafood, and sushi. There are still many Tsujiki Market classics operates and there is where customers could be spontaneous, get a lot of different dishes, and try them on the side of the street to their heart’s content.

Take a walk through the meat yoko in Ebisu

I have a newfound love for sea urchins when I was there.  Having said that, tasty sea urchins are difficult to find as the non-fresh ones are basically tasteless and watery.

I saw a couple of freshly opened sea urchins from Iwate in the market, and they were the tastiest sea urchin that I have ever had. If you are into the sea urchin, you must order the sea urchin-don at Tsukiji Donburi Ichiba which features five to seven different kinds of sea urchins and they were piled up in a big bowl at a very good price.

“meat” sushi

Sushi is not limited to fish but  premium and jucy wagyu beef

For those who might think there is only fish with sushi, think again. Ebisu Yokocho Niku Sushi is one of my favourite meat yoko in Tokyo with their “meat sushi”, with premium wagyu wrapping the sushi rice – this is truly a levitating experience because the food is simply unbelievable! Taking it up a notch, their are also famous for their raw horse meat sushi.

Don’t forget to buy some dry good homes from the stores when you are full – the dried sakura shrimps work magic when they are sprinkled on hot rice, and in a salad.

For those who might think there is only fish with sushi, think again. Ebisu Yokocho Niku Sushi is one of my favourite meat yoko in Tokyo with their “meat sushi”, with premium wagyu wrapping the sushi rice – this is truly a levitating experience because the food is simply unbelievable! Taking it up a notch, their are also famous for their raw horse meat sushi.

Niku Sushi: nikusushi.ne.jp/

Ramen

Yummylicious Tokyo - Shiodome - Ramen
Fusion ramen, have you ever tried ramen with melted cheese, parma ham, and yellow pepper powder?

There are so many ramen places in Tokyo that I lose count. How about something new with an Italian inspiration? You may, or may not know, that Tokyo has its own “Little Italy”! It’s actually a newly developed area near Shiodome with a bit of an Italian twist.

One day, a local brought me to Due Italian, of which the owner had the idea of turning the supposedly greasy and salty ramen into a healthy meal. The deli offer noodles made with healthy ingredients, and it appeals to the female audience and customer who are looking for something new. I love their refreshing citrus soup base and it tastes delicious with cheese and citrus-flavored pepper.

Due Italian: https://www.dueitalian.jp/

Shinjuku: The classic Tokyo impression.

Shinjuku is probably the most classic Tokyo impression to a lot of foreigners. Shibuya’s busy intersections, giant neon lights, and the excitement of walking in Kabukichō at night.

The exploration in Shinjuku could be intense. The Shinjuku JR Station is so huge and complex that it is basically a maze. Even locals always find it difficult to look for their friends at the station if it was their meeting place. On top of the people and dazzling signs, Shinjuku is the hub of department stores, thrift shops, and local brands that makes shopping a good workout of your wallet.

Yummylicious Tokyo - Shinjuku

Yaku-niku

yummylicious tokyo - beef
Yaku-niku on charcoal

There was a time that I was exhausted after a crazy shopping spree in Shinjuku and I just wanted to find a place to sit down and eat something. I ended up in a local small yaku-niku (meat barbecue) restaurant and I had the best yaku-niku experience in Japan.

Although the menu was all in Japanese, I managed to order a plate of delicious beef, lettuce, and a glass of Calpis. To my surprise, they used an old-fashioned charcoal stove and it was special.

It was one of my best dining memories in Tokyo just because the experience was serendipitous. So, when my friends were in Tokyo with me, I wished to bring them back to Shinjuku for yaku-niku – but at that time, we went to Rokkasen instead.

For having so many rare and special parts and premium meat, I am happy that Rokkasen’s set dinner is an all-you-can-eat menu so our group could order as much as we want until we were all satisfied.

Rokkasen: http://www.rokkasen.co.jp/

Shibuya: The Grand Transformation

Shibuya Sky

I witness a metamorphosis of Shibuya – In a good way though, because the construction around JR Shibuya took years to complete. Now. it has finally comes to a complete with new attractions, renovated shopping complexes, and incredible dining experience.

The crossings right outside JR Shibuya is arguably the most featured and photographed site of Tokyo – the Tokyo Scramble. Literally, where pedestrains and cars are entering and exiting in all directions, making it the busiest pedestrain crossing in the world, with as many as 3,000 people crossing the road at a time. With the traffic, metropolitan vibe and large billboards, Shibuya Scramble is often compared with New York’s Times Square and London’s Piccadilly Circus.

In addition to the classic, Shibuya Scramble Square is opened in 2019; immediately it became a tourist sensation and one of the must-sees in their Japan new travel itinerary. Honestly, there’s no way not doing so after seeing the beautiful pictures of the Tokyo skyline up there.

Matcha

My favourite matcha warabi dish at Saryosuisen, the chewy and elastic texture is unqiue and it is a must try for warabi fans!

Matcha has been a staple in Japanese culture forcenturies. Matcha is used in all kinds of food and dishes, from smoothies, icecream, cakes, bakeries, desert, and so many more. Before I jump into any of the above categories, the powdered green tea deserves its one title in this article.

Matcha is a type of powdered green tea. While the areas that produce the best matcha is in the Uji region of Kyoto; many Matcha master and labels expanded their territories and set up shop all across Japan. I have talke about the level-10 Matcha master at Shimokita Chaen.

Saryosuisen 茶寮翠泉 is also orignated from Kyoto, a matcha experts serving premium grade matcha and using them deserts and drinks like parfait, cakes (mont blanc is their signature dish), and warabi (my favourite). Check out their instagram for more images. Try to visit their at non-peak hours because there is always a queue.

Saryosuisen: saryo-suisen.com

Asakusa & Ueno: Tokyo’s Time Capsule

Yummylicious Tokyo - UenoWhile new and exciting things keep popping up in Tokyo, Asakusa treasured the old like a time capsule.

Tourists like to dress themselves up in kimonos, walking down the Nakamise shopping street and taking photos in front of the Kaminarimon of Sensouji. A little bit farther from the crowd, the streets outside Senso-Ji is filled with Izakaya, while both locals and foreigners could have a good time sitting by the street with a group of friends and drink.

Yummylicious Tokyo - Asakusa

Warabi Mochi

Yummylicious Tokyo - Ueno - Wagashi Warabi
Kuriyakashi Kurogi: The architecture is designed by renowned architect, Kengo Kuma.

Kuriya Kashi Kurogi 廚菓子くろぎ is not exactly located in a busy tourist area the cafe is outside the Daiwa Ubiquitous building. Yet the building itself is a remarkable architecture.

Designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma, The exterior is covered entirely with layered wooden slats – one of the architect’s trademarks – with a refreshing view of wildflowers and fresh foliage.

Warabi Mochi (my favorite Japanese traditional confection) is their specialty. The soft, dark jelly is made from starch; the texture is chewy and it tastes great when tossed on either yellow bean or matcha powder, and then dipped in some fine brown sugar syrup.

Apart from Warabi, the café is a tie-up with the Ebisu-based Sarutahiko Coffee company. The perfect combo of Warabi and coffee inevitably made Kuriyakashi Kurogi a “must-visit” this time in Tokyo.

Kuriyakashi Kurogi: http://www.wagashi-kurogi.co.jp/

Izakaya

Yummylicious Tokyo - Asakusa - Izakaya
Dishes in Izakaya – sashimi platter, and so many more choices.

An izakaya is a traditional Japanese-style pub and they basically have a wide range of offerings on the menu from grilled fish, sashimi platter, skewers, yaki-tori, and shabu-shabu, sukiyaki… and so much more. There, I also saw some special dishes like flying fish sashimi and even whale. I didn’t order whale due to the controversial ethical issues, still, I appreciate the casual vibe in these places – it’s about socializing after all.

Looking for a good dining place, everybody checks on Yelp or Foursquare; for takeouts, I use Food Panda. The Japanese like to use Hotpepper in Japan. So, if you have a hard time choosing the right place, try to look through the Hotpepper reviews for some ideas.

Yummylicious Tokyo - Asakusa - Food

Oden

Ueno is a quieter residential and university area. Many museums are located in the Ueno park, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science… and more. I could spend days in the area, exploring the museums one by one. Some of the best old-fashioned Japanese-style restaurants are in the area, one of my favorites is Takoyuu.

Yummylicious Tokyo - Ueno - Oden
Oden

Oden, a Japanese one-pot winter dish, is my number one Japanese comfort food. It may seem easy to make: boiling eggs, daikon, konjac, shirataki noodles, fish cakes, and many other ingredients in a big, light, soy-flavored stew. However, it takes time for the daikon to fully soak in the soy sauce and turn absolutely juicy and soft.

Oden is available all year and they are even available in some convenience stores; All in all, I love Takoyuu’s Oden. Locals usually come here before dinner for pre-dinner snacks and drinks. The menu is only in Japanese. Don’t worry, just point at the big pot and the lady will serve them to you, the food is at a very good price.

Takokyuu: https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1311/A131101/13008517/

Roppongi: The Golden Art Triangle

Tokyo Roppongi Hill Skydeck
Tokyo Roppongi Hill Skydeck

My love of Roppongi is rooting in the Golden Art Triangle of three modern art museums. By now, more art galleries and art spaces are emerging which makes visiting the area even more inspiring. The National Art Center is a bit more “serious”, with featured temporary modern or traditional art exhibitions that attract a huge number of audiences all year round.

Enjoy a cup of coffee or a piece of cake at the VOGUE café in the lobby of the art center is a great bonus after looking at the wonderful art display.

The Mori Art Museum is one of my favorite art spaces in Tokyo and it’s located at the top of the Mori Tower. The art museum is privately owned and it featured lots of contemporary art big names in the past from Ai Wei Wei, Yayoi Kusama, VIKTOR, and ROLF, to Annette Messenger. I visited the museum a couple of times and I found Mori’s exhibit a little bit more approachable to the general audience. Not to mention I got to enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view of the Tokyo skyline at the Tokyo Cityview and its Skydeck after a walk in the exhibition hall.

Yaki-Tori

Yakitori means Japanese Chicken Skewers. Various parts of the chicken (now we have beef, pork, or vegetables) are grilled over a charcoal fire – eaters could taste the flavor of charcoal from the meat yet they are kept juicy and tender.

Yummylicious Tokyo - Roppongi - Toriyaki
A classic yaki-tori setting

There are countless Yakitori restaurants in Japan and they are often near each other with their own unique signature and character, such as wagyu beef or high-class free-range chicken. Anything on a skewer called “Yakitori”. Basic seasonings are usually salt and Yakitori sauce. However, certain ingredients taste better with different seasonings like miso sauce or soy sauce.

Once you pick up the menu at a Yakitori restaurant, the possibilities are limitless. It’s common to see a picture of a chicken on the table indicating various body parts from drumsticks, neck, liver, skin, Yagen Gristle, Genkotsu Gristle (cartilage), Gizzard, Tail, to one of the most unique body parts of all, chicken oviduct (Enmusubi). Quite difficult to describe the texture of Enmusubi … a bit chewy yet it doesn’t taste weird; It’s popular among locals and enjoy it while it’s hot.

Yummylicious Tokyo, Enmusubi
Enmusubi is the chicken’s ovary.

We visited the Toriko original store near Roppongi district and we enjoyed their food. Once we sat down in our private room, I was amazed by the distinct parts that are available on their menu (which was a chicken dissection diagram): from liver, heart, kidney, skin, cartilage, to neck meat… and the most special of them all is the enmusubi.

Another great place that I visited and you could visit is located in Hibiya, and very close to the Peninsula Tokyo, called Yakitori Stadium Tokyo – lately I just found out that it’s permanently closed! I remembered that the place has a good vibe and the servers are very friendly. hopefully, the restaurant will re-open soon.

Toriko: https://nogizaka-toriko.com/

Omotesando: Strutting down the road of the fashionista

Yummylicious Tokyo - Asakusa - CoffeeOmotesando, Minami-Aoyama, and Harajuku precincts are where upscale and trendy fashion brands are found. amongst these brands, coffee shops, bookstores, antique and vintage stores, and design shops filled the gaps.

The area has a hip and trendy atmosphere that it seems everything there is in style. There was a day I was wandering in the alleys of Harajuku, and it started to rain at lunchtime.

As I was trapped in the alleys in Harajuku (got lost happily), I ventured into a local boutique café Café Bio Ojiyan that combined food and fashion. The place is decorated with homespun settings, a classic sofa, book racks, with an open kitchen. I ordered the set lunch of the day, which is made of Ojiya (おじや) Chicken and organic cabbage stir fry in mayo, topped up with fresh pineapple juice.

When I was waiting for food flipping through the magazines and looking at the home-designed accessories, I found out that the chef of the house was actually a fashion designer and his pieces were sold at the I.T. fashion store in Hong Kong. I was pleasantly surprised and that’s one of the great things about Tokyo. There are so many aspiring talents gathered here and they are doing what they enjoy and love.

Yummylicious Tokyo - Omotesando

Thanks to the Japanese’s love of pastry and dessert, cake shops, pastry stores, and dessert parlors are basically everywhere. From cronuts, souffle pancakes, to artisan cakes, they are so luscious and scrumptious that no one could resist. If you ever stroll in the cozy neighborhood (like Jiyugaoka), honestly, just walk into any bakery and you rarely would find the food disappointing. The attention to detail was of the utmost. Every day there are a bunch of Japanese housewives queue up outside the restaurants, gather and enjoy the delicacies.

Some of the following places are not originated from Japan, however, they became popular in Tokyo and the Japanese do have a way of making it their own. Now, I couldn’t visit these places repeatedly when I am in Tokyo.

Tonkatsu (pork cutlet)

Yummylicious Tokyo - Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu is one of my favorite dishes in Japan, and don’t be shy to ask for a cabbage refill!

The Japanese pork cutlet, is one of my favorite Japanese dishes.  Not only the deep-fried pork cutlet is tender and juicy, but customers could also have an unlimited refill of crunchy cabbage.

Some familiar places are in Ginza, like Hirata Farms Co., Ltd, and Ginza Bairin. As soon as the dish was presented on my table, I was informed exactly where the ingredients were from all over the country, and they were always fresh and seasonal: Niigata rice, Totori chicken, Miyazaki taro, Nagano celery, Kumamoto cabbage, Tokushima tomato, Okayama peach, Saitama Cucumber, Fungi from Kagoshima, or persimmon from Wakayama… the list goes on.

Hirata Farms Co., Ltd: www.hiraboku.info/

Tonkatsu.jp is a small diner with only bar tables that diners can look at the chef preparing your deep fried premium pork.

Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin: http://www.ginzabairin.com/

Exploring some place new, we headed to Tonkatsu.jp, which is located in Omotesando and Minami Aoyama. If you have troubles making a decision, Tonkatsu.jp is not going to help at all because they have so, so, so many choices of pork from different origina, body parts and fatness. I love pork with rich fat and I know some prefer lean meat – luckily, Tonkatsu.jp has you covered.

The restaurant is small and cozy place with about 10 seats by the bar, and diners get to see how the chef prepare your meal from start to finish. You may have to wait for about 15-20 mintues, yet time flies much quicker watching the chef at work.

Tonkatsu.jp: https://tonkatsu.jp/

Bakeries

Yummylicious Tokyo - Omotesando - Dominique Bakery
In the 2018 summer, they have a new What-a-Melon Soft Serve and it’s available until September. The dessert dish is made with the bakery’s homemade watermelon soft serve swirled inside a slice of juicy watermelon, finished with little chocolate “seed” and served with a small bottle of sea salt. It was quite refreshing! Not to mention their signature DKA. 

(Note 2019: Dominique Ansel closed their operation in 2018 (Too, too bad that I just visited there in the 2018 Summer! Omotesando’s shop is no longer listed on their official website, but as I know, Dominique Ansel Bakery is now only in New York, Las Vegas and Hong Kong only. 

Remember the cronuts? It was quite a hype a few years back and the legendary, trademarked bakery was brought to the world by Dominique Ansel, and we have also shared a little bit about his story in New York Food Guide: The Travel Foodie Picks of Best Places to Eat.

I still remember cronuts was such a hype and the line outside the Dominique Ansel Bakery in Omotesando.

Dominique Ansel Bakery store locations: https://www.dominiqueansel.com/our-shops/

Trends move fast and it also applies to bakeries. The latest popular long-queue bakery is probably the Truffle BAKERY.

Truffle BAKERY’s top seller: White truffle salt bread

Why? Because it was endorsed by big movie star Takuya Kimura, at a friendly price level. The bakery opened since 2007 and now, it is spreading across Tokyo.

Visit their website for all the locations. Their bakeries are in Hokkaido, Osaka, Karuizama and more.

The best-selling item at Truffle BAKERY’s is their white truffle salt bread. They do have other interesting and delicious bread on their menu, like the melon bun, and croissant.

Truffle BAKERY: truffle-bakery.com

Cafe and coffee

Yummylicious Tokyo - Omotesdano - Blue Bottle
Bluebottle Coffee

Tokyo has a coffee scene and there are so many boutique coffee shops in town that have their own unique perspective on how to roast, make, and taste coffee –  it makes the exploration of coffee shops exciting, I have got to learn their stories as well.

If you are a coffee fan, don’t miss out on the Tokyo Coffee Festival! The festival is one of the more prestigious and the largest coffee culture event in Japan. It began in 2015 and is held annually at the Farmer’s Market in UNU neat Omotesando.

The festival is free, and visitors could purchase a package pass for about 1,000 yen and which includes a few stickers and tasting paper cups for a “coffee-tasting” experience at any given stand in the event. The pass includes other festival souvenirs and goodies as well! It would be a great experience not only to taste the new coffee but also to learn their stories.

Sampling different kinds of coffee beans at Owaga Coffee, the latest cafe in Reload, Shimokitazawa.

Tokyo Coffee Festival: https://tokyocoffeefestival.co/

Originated from San Francisco, Blue Bottle Coffee has emerged as a new mecca for coffee lovers on their pilgrimage. The boutique cafe emphasizes a little bit more on the coffee quality – they do not use blended coffee, and the baristas hand-drip each cup of coffee with beans that were roasted within 48 hours.

The attention to detail gained huge success and popularity and the chain expanded quickly in Tokyo within 2 years, now could be found in Aoyama, Shinagawa, Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Shinjuku, and Nakameguro.

For my taste, however, I love Sarutahiko Coffee from Ebisu more. I like the fragrance of their coffee beans and the taste of their cold brew coffee, which is slightly more roasted with a pleasant aftertaste. Another personal favorite would be nitro coffee (which I have also introduced in Seoul Food Guide), the trend is quickly spreading throughout the world and Nitro Coffee could be seen on many cafes’ menus now. I just love the smoothness and texture of it.

Sarutahiko Coffee: https://sarutahiko.jp/

Tea

If you are not into coffee, I guess you would go for tea? Like coffee, the Japanese have a profound history of making and drinking matcha, green tea, and Hojicha (roasted tea).

Yummylicious Tokyo - Omotesando - Tea
Sakurai Tea

The Japanese tea ceremony, or the Way of Tea, is a well-known Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha. There are workshops that welcome foreigners to have a taste of what the Japanese tea ceremony is like.

The Sakurai Tea, on the other hand, takes customers on a tea tasting journey with various roasted Japanese tea, which was prepared and presented with different methods. Sakurai Tea position itself as a research faculty by experimenting with different mix and preparation methods of tea leaves. in the end, they target to reach a new level with Japanese tea as it continuously evolves.

Sakurai: http://www.sakurai-tea.jp/

Yummylicious Tokyo - Odaiba

Pancakes

Yummylicious! Pancakes
Souffle pancakes!

Apparently, the Japanese soufflé pancake would stick around for a little bit longer. Among all, I absolutely love Happy Pancake 幸せのパンケーキ , Bills, and Flipper’s. Each of these pancake cafes has its own signature souffle pancake and It’s hard for me to say “no”! Lately, I found out that there is some absolutely amazing pancake cafe in Bangkok and I will introduce them to my next Yummylicious! Bangkok! chapter!

Came from Australia, the famous Bill Granger’s scrambled eggs are absolutely amazing – the chain is now expanding to a number of places like Korea, but queues still exist consistently outside Omotesando’s. It was later I realized that Bills has also opened in Ginza and Odaiba.

Yummylicious Tokyo - Bills
bills

Insider tip, Bills is usually filled with people with a long wait. and the restaurant in Odaiba is much more spacious, with outdoor tables overlooking the Rainbow Bridge without lone lines – and their pancakes taste just as great!

幸せのパンケーキ: https://magia.tokyo/

Bills: http://billsjapan.com/en/location/tokyo

Flipper’s: http://flippers-pancake.jp/

Gram: https://www.cafe-gram.com/

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100 comments

  1. Great article Ken – one of my favourite cities too !! Really love the izakaya food, beer and atmosphere !

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